Jo Boaler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jo Boaler
Jo Boaler, 2013
Born	1964 (age 60–61) England, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Liverpool University King's College London
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics education
Institutions	Stanford University
Doctoral advisor	Paul Black Mike Askew

Jo Boaler, born in 1964, is a British expert in education. She is a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education. Professor Boaler works to improve how math is taught. She also writes about making math fair for everyone.

She helped start youcubed, a research center at Stanford. This center offers math learning tools for teachers, students, and parents. She also co-founded a company that makes a math game app. Jo Boaler has written or helped write many books about math. Some of her books include What's Math Got To Do With It?, The Elephant in the Classroom, Mathematical Mindsets, Limitless Mind, and Math-ish.

Early Life and Learning

Jo Boaler grew up near Birmingham, England. Her mother was a secretary and her father was a technical draftsman. Her mother later studied to become a teacher. This gave Jo Boaler a chance to see new, fun ways of learning.

She felt her early math classes were mostly about memorizing steps. But then, one of her high school teachers started using group discussions. This made math much more interesting for her.

College and Advanced Degrees

Jo Boaler earned a degree in Psychology from Liverpool University in 1985. She then taught at Haverstock School in London for two years. This experience inspired her to focus on math education.

She went on to earn a master's degree and a Ph.D. in mathematics education. She completed these degrees at King's College London in 1991 and 1996. In 1997, she won an award for the best Ph.D. in education. Her Ph.D. research looked at how math was taught in two different schools.

Career Highlights

Moving to the United States

In 1998, Professor Boaler became a professor at Stanford University. She worked there until 2006. During this time, she received a grant to study three schools in California.

This study looked at how different teaching methods affected students learning algebra. One school used a "reform" curriculum where all students started algebra in 9th grade. The study's findings supported new ways of teaching math.

Some mathematicians later raised questions about her study's methods. Stanford University reviewed these concerns. They concluded that the issues were about academic debate, not serious misconduct.

Returning to England

In 2006, Jo Boaler moved back to the United Kingdom. She became a professor at Sussex University. While in England, she wrote two books: What's Math Got To Do With It? and The Elephant in the Classroom.

Back to California

In 2010, Professor Boaler returned to Stanford University. She continued her work as a Professor of Mathematics Education. In 2012, she wrote about how timed math tests can cause math anxiety.

Her research also looks at how grouping students by ability can be a problem. She writes about the importance of making mistakes and having a "growth mindset" in math. A growth mindset means believing you can improve your abilities through effort.

In 2013, she taught a huge online course called "How to Learn Math." About 40,000 teachers and parents joined this course.

Improving Math in San Francisco

In 2014, the San Francisco Unified School District changed its math program. The goal was to help all students, especially those who were struggling. They removed advanced math classes and had all students learn the same curriculum. Algebra was taught in 9th grade for everyone.

Classrooms were set up so students worked together to solve math problems. This approach was inspired by Jo Boaler's ideas. She met with the district and praised their efforts.

Youcubed: Math Resources for Everyone

In 2013, Jo Boaler helped create youcubed. This is a research center at Stanford University. Youcubed provides many math learning tools for students, teachers, and parents. They also offer training courses for teachers.

In 2024, youcubed worked with Stanford's women's basketball team. They used statistics from basketball to help students learn about data. This project helped students in grades four through ten improve their math skills.

Struggly: A Fun Math Game

Jo Boaler is also a co-founder of Struggly. This is a web app that offers a math game for children. Struggly has won several awards for its design since it launched in 2023.

California Math Framework

Professor Boaler was one of the main authors of the 2023 Mathematics Framework for California schools. This framework guides how math is taught from kindergarten to 12th grade. It suggests ways to make math learning better for all students.

The framework was updated after getting ideas from many educators and parents. It now says that some students might be ready for algebra in 8th grade. It also offers different paths for students to learn math, including data science.

Before the final version, earlier drafts of the framework caused some debate. Some experts worried about the proposed changes. However, the revised framework was approved in July 2023.

Academic Discussions

In 2022, Professor Boaler was part of an online discussion with a computer science professor. The discussion was about a consulting contract she had with a school district. This led to a public debate about her work and fees.

In March 2024, Stanford University received a complaint about Professor Boaler's research. The university reviewed it and decided it was about academic differences of opinion. They did not find any policy violations.

Awards and Recognition

• 2000 National Science Foundation Early Career Grant
• 2014 NCSM (National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics) Kay Gilliland Equity Award
• 2016 The California Mathematics Council Walter Denham Memorial Award for Leadership
• 2019 The Nomellini–Olivier Endowed Chair and Nomellini & Olivier Professor of Education

See also

• Math wars